Ring valve construction for combustion chambers



Aug. 8, 1950' R. H. GOODARD 2,518,001

RING VALVE CONSTRUCTION FOR COMBUSTION CHAMBERS Filed July 26, 1946 .2 Sheets-Sheet l QAWWM 1950 R. H. GOODARD 2,518,001

- RING VALVE CONSTRUCTION FOR comaus'rxou CHAMBERS Filed July 26, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y-MMJTZ P Aug. a. mo

PATENT orncs RING VALVE CONSTRUCTION FOB COMBUSTION CHAMBERS mom n. Goddard, deceased, late of Annapolis, MIL, by Esther C.-Goddard, executrlx, Paxton,

Mala, asslgnor of one-half to The Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 28, 1946, Serial No. 688,388

9 Claims.

This invention relates to combustion chambers It is the object of the invention to provide improved ring valves to eilfect such intermittent feed of one or more combustion liquids.

A further object is to provide a ring valve "for such purposes which is of simple and inexpensive construction but reliable and eillcient in operation.

Another object is to provide a ring valve which requires no special starting means and which is sealed by the combustion liquids when in operation. A construction is also providedby which a single ring valve can control the admission of two diflerent combustion liquids.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations oi parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointedout in the appended claims.

Preferred forms of the invention are shown the drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a partial sectional elevation of a combustion chamber to which the improved ring valve has been applied;

Fig. 2 is a partial perspective view oi the valve;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of certain parts, taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view to be explained;

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional elevation of a modifled form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view, taken along the line 8-8 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a partial sectional plan view of a modified construction of the ring valve shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 7a is a detail sectional view, taken along the line la-Ia in Fig. 7;

Fig. 8 is a partial sectional elevation of an-. other ring valve construction providing balanced forces to center the ring valve vertically;

Fig. 8a is a detail sectional view, taken along the line 8a8a in Fig. 8; Fig. 9 is a sectional plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the casing used in the construction shown in Figs. 8 and 9;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 9 but showing 2 Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, a combustion chamber C is shown which is provided with anannular casing to which a combustion liquid is ied tangentially through a supply pipe 28.- The 5 chamber C has an annular projection "near the closed end of the chamber and this projection comprises upper and lower flanges a and 28b joined by a cylindrical portion 30 having a plurality of admission ports or slots II. annular valve member 33 surrounds and is loosely rotatable on the fixed annular projection of the combustion chamber C.

The valve member a has upper. and lower flanges N and 35 whichembrace the upper end lower flanges of the projection 28, with slight or running clearance. The middle portion 3 of the ring valve is formed to provide'periphe'ral notches 31 (Fig. 3) and is also provided with slotted port openings II which are preferably an substantially inclined outwardly in the direction oiyrotation.

As liquid under pressure is supplied through the tangential feed pipe 28, the liquid iiows around the passage formed by the annular casing 25 25 and engages the ring valve 33 in the notches 31 in such manner as to rotate the ring-valve at a desired speed. which speed may be 'controlled by varying the feed pressure.

Each time the feed openings 38 come into alignment with the ports II in the portion 3' or the chamber wall, small portions or' slugs" oi the combustion liquid will be iniectedinto the combustion chamber C, the relative spacing of successive slugs S admitted through any one port 3| being as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 4.

ring valves 33 and the chamber projection;

Furthermore, the ring valve begins to as soon as liquid under pressure is admitted tangentially through the feed pipe 2.. and no special starting devices are required.

By rotating the valve member at relatively high speed and by providing a multiplicity of port openings as indicated in Fig. 3, a very large number oi separated slugs of the combustion liquid are admitted to the combustion chamber in a very short period of time, so thatthe advantages of substantially continuous combustion are attained, together with improved and more The other combustion liquid maybe admitted I 3 complete mixing, due to the admission oi the combustion liquid as a series of separated slugs. A somewhat similar construction is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, in which a combustion chamber C supports an end member 40 having ports 4| inclined to direct the separated slugs to a common point a substantially removed inward from the arched end 42 of the combustion chamber. The end member 40 has an outer casing 43 providing a volute passage 44 receiving a combustion liquid tangentially through a feed pipe 48 (Fig. 6). An annular valve member 40 is loosely rotatable on the extension 40 01' the chamber C, and the upper and lower flanges oi the valve member 46 are notched as indicated at 4| in Fig. 6. The cylindrical connecting portion 4! oi the valve member 46 is provided with ports II which coact with the ports 4| in the extension 40, as previously described in connection with Figs. 1 to 3.

The sprays of separated slugs of one liquid converge at the point a, and the other liquid may be introduced through an axial feed pipe II in a continuous spray, also directed to the point a.

flanges 56 and with connecting webs or parti tions 51 against which the liquid rotating in the volute passage 44 may operate to rotate the valve 55.

In the constructions shown in Figs. 1 to 7 and as previously described, the number of port openings may be the same in the rotating and stationary parts as indicated in Fig. 3. or may ditier by some small number as indicated in Fig. 6. If the two series of ports differ by two ports, then opposite ports will be open at the same time and the ports on a diameter at right angles to the diameter of the open ports will be closed, so that the pressures will always be accurately balanced on the rotating valve member, and so that at least two pairs of ports will always be at least partially open in every angular position of the rotating member. Consequently, fully continuous combustion will be efl'ectively maintained, while at the same time the forces acting on the rotating valve member are continuously balanced.

The valve members thus far described are to a considerable extent self-centering. as vertical shifting of the rotating valve member tends to increase the clearance at one side and to decrease the clearance at the other side. This change in clearances promptly results in an increase in pressure in the restricted portion, which increase in pressure tends to shift the rotating ings 64.

A combustion liquid is supplied through feed pipes 65 (Fig. 10) to an annular passage 8| (Fig. 9) enclosed by a casing 61. The feed pipes l are tangentially disposed as indicated in Fig. 10, and are preferably mounted in a desired number of balanced pairs as shown.

It it is desired to rotate the valve member I! at unusually high speed, the feed pipe Ola (Fig. 11) may be extended inside or the casing Ila to provide a restricted nozzle It through which the liquid under pressure will be injected at greater speed and closer to the ring valve 82. The construction diflers from that shown in Figs. 8 and 9 only by the inward projection of the nozzle Cl.

At spaced intervals about the passage It (Fig. 9) branch feed pipes II (Fig. 8) conduct a portion of the liquid under pressure in the feed pipes CI to ports Ii adjacent the beveled upper and lower annular surfaces of the ring valve 82.

Such pressure, applied through the pipes]. against the inclined urfaces of the ring valve, act to center the ring valve vertically and to correct displacement from such central position by increase in pressure in the clearance space toward which the valve tends to be displaced.

The branch pipes 1| are preferably connected into each supply pipe 85 at a point just outside of the restricted opening it connecting the pipe it into the annular passage 6!. As thus connected, the pressure in the branch pipes II is commonly slightly greater than the pressure in the annular passage 6.

A somewhat similar result is attained in the construction shown in Fig. 12 in which branch pipes I! apply pressure to the upper and lower surfaces of the ring valve member 10, which is rotatably mounted in an annular recess II surrounding the combustion chamber CE. The fuel enters the combustion chamber through slots "a and port openings 19 and auxiliary branch passages I'l apply pressure against the inner face of the ring valve member 16. If this valve member ll is displaced either vertically or ina horizontal plane, the decrease in clearance will cause a corresponding inoease in pressure which will quickly correct the displacement.

In the construction shown in Fig. 13, the ring valve Ill rotates in an annular recess 82 surrounding the combustion chamber CI, and fuel is fed through slots 83 and port openings 84.

A Displacement of the ring valve member 80 is posiring valve mechanism comprising a ring valve member mounted to rotate outside of said annular portion and also having port openings, and means to rotate said valve member by the direct action of the combustion liquid supplied under pressure thereto.

2. In combustion apparatus, a casing definin a combustion chamber and having an annular portion with a plurality of port openings, and a ring valve mechanism comprising a ring valve member mounted to rotate outside of said annular portion and also having port openings, and means to rotate said valve member by the direct action or the combustion liquid supplied under pressure thereto, said valve member rotating in an annular admission passage to which said combustion liquid is supplied substantially tangentialiy.

3. The combination in combustion apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which the ring valve member has a plurality of peripheral notches engaged by said combustion liquid.

4. The combination in combustion apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which the port openings in said ring valve member are outwardly inclined in the direction of rotation of said valve member.

5. In combustion apparatus, a casing defining a combustion chamber and provided with a hollow and inwardly open peripheral portion of U-shaped cross section about its closed end, an inwardly open annular valve member of U- shaped cross section rotatable on said peripheral portion, said peripheral portion and said member having coacting port openings, a casing loosely enclosing said valve member, means to supply a combustion liquid under pressure to said casing, and means to rotate said valve member.

6. In combustion apparatus, a casing defining a combustion chamber and having admission ports about its closed end directed to a focus substantially removed axially from said end, an annular valve member of U-shaped cross section rotatable on said combustion chamber, a volute enclosing said valve member and having a tangential intake for combustio liquid, and devices on said valve member engageable with and rotated by said combustion liquid.

8. A ring valve mechanism for a combustion chamber comprising a casing, said mechanism having an annular portion with a plurality of port openings, said mechanism comprising a ring valve member mounted to rotate outside of said annular portion and having substantially conical upper and lower outer surfaces and having a plurality of port openings through its middle portion, means to supply a combustion liquid under pressure to said port openings, and branch means to apply balancing liquid pressures to said upper and lower conical surfaces.

9'. The combination in a ring valve mechanism as set forth in claim 1, in which the number of port openings in the valve member diflers by two from the number of port openings in the annular portion of the combustion chamber.

' ESTHER C. GODDARD, Executrim of the Last Will and Testament of Robert H. Goddard, Deceased.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

